Display device



March 13, 1937. SUNDERHAUF 2,073,716

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed March 22, 1935 I Patented Mar. 16, 1937 PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY DEVICE 7 Frederick A. Sunderhauf, Rutherford, N. 3., as-

signor to Reynolds Metals Company, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application March 22,1935, Serial No. 12,380

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to an advertising device and has to do more in particular with a sign in which a concurrent direct and indirect showing of symbols is provided.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a display device having a symbol silhouetted against and spaced from a reflector member so that the reflection of such symbol is made visible from the front of the device. 10 A further object of the present invention is the'prov'ision of a display device comprising parts having foil reflecting surfaces supported upon a base, such parts being readily changed and other members substituted.

' with the above and other desirable objects in view, an embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described in conjunction with the accompanying sheet of drawing, hereby made a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective of an embodiment of the invention viewed generally from the front;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of'the device shown in Figure 1;

Like reference characters are used for designating similar parts of the illustrated embodiment of the invention in the figures of the drawing and throughout the following description. 7 Figures 1 and'2 illustrate a display device particularly appropriate for daytime displays having 30 a suitable basemember III for the device having grooves II and I2 extending longitudinally thereof. These may be adjacent to the back and front edges of the base respectively. The grooves l l and I2 may be coextensive with the base ill or of less length than the base. Removably inserted within the longitudinal groove II is a sheet I3 which may reach the whole length of the base, and which may be of anydesired outline above the base. i The body of the placard l3 may have any contour so longas it has an area sufficient to reflect the symbols shortly to be described.

The front surface of the placard I3 is reflective. In the present device, the placard has a front face comprising a sheet I4 of highly pol- 45 Ished metal foil. Suitable decorative design such as a sun burst i5 and advertising it may be printed or embossed upon material ll in any conventional manner when this is desired.

At the front of the base member I0 maybe ig'nated n, I8, I9, and 20. Each of the symbols a group of characters or symbols, in outline, desof the strip 2| and inserted into the groove I2. Other means for attaching the parts Ill, I8, I9, 20, and 2I to the front of the base Ill may be adopted. It is generally desirable to maintain the bodies of the symbols and sheet I3 in parallelism but special effects are obtained by having said parts at a slight angle. When desired, the characters I'I, I8, I9, and 20 may be independent of one another and separately attached to the base I0.

The back of each character I1, I8, i9, and 20 is preferably colored with a brilliant substance 23 suchas red, green, yellow, or purple polished foil. Such foil is polished to increase its brilliance and reflectivity. It may be desirable at times to have the backs 23 of the different characters ll, l8, It, or 2|] of different colors. In the device shown, there is also a coating of polished metal foil 2t upon the front face of each ofgthe characters I'll, I8, I9 and 20 and also upon the strip 2i. Such covering 24 is optional.

When the device is assembled as shown, the symbols l1, I8, I9, and 20 are sufliciently close to the surface M of back member I3 that a readily visible'colored reflection in surface I3 of the backs of the characters I1, I8, I9, and 20, may be seen from the front of the device and particularly at an angle less than ninety degrees from the said front. This reflection 'of said characters is most pronounced when the front 24 of the characters I1, I8, I9, and 2|] is of a color contrasting with the color upon their backs reflected on surface I3.

In the form illustrated the spacing of characters I'l, I8, I9, and 20 does not exceed an inch from the surface I3 but of course such spacing may be varied at choice determined by the art effect desired and also the size of the symbols II, I8, l9, and 20. Such contrast of color arouses attention. The reflection provides an indirect reading sign while the symbols are a direct reading sign. When the color-{upon the back of the characters i'l, I8, I9, and 20 is of a suitable red or blue the reflection within the polished surface I4 resembles the radiation of. an electrically energized neon tube, and hence is an attention attracting background for the main sign.

Inasmuch as the complemental parts of the device upon the front and rear of the base in are detachable, these parts may be easily removed and replaced by similar cooperating parts.

The space between symbols and reflective sheet is a matter of choice dependent on color, size and character of symbol, and the degree of polish upon the reflected surface.

Because of the nature of the metallic surface 'which is used as a reflector for the outlines of the symbols the reflection is not so sharply deflned as it would be if a glass minor were employed. The effect of the metal is to diifuse slightly the image and to thus make its outline irregular instead of regular and this gives novel and attractive effects, particularly when in color. The metallic luster of tlie reflector blends with the reflected colored image producing a pleasing color effect.

The symbols and back may be, die-cut and may be of inexpensive sheet material such as sheet cardboard orother sheeted fibrous board, readily mountable upon an inexpensive base. As reflected the illusion of neon light illumination and of depth is obtained.

What is claimed as new and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States i l. A display device comprising a symbol in outline and formed from sheet material having a colored back, and a sheet of material spaced therefrom and having a reflective front surface of polished foil, the back of. said symbol being sufficiently close to the reflective front of said sheet to be readably reflected therein in slightly distorted form.

2. An advertising device comprising a symbol of sheet material in outline and having a. colored reflective rear surface, a body of sheet material having a front face formed of polished foil of an area greater than the area of said symbol, and means for spacing said symbol and body with the reflective faces therein in such proximity that the image of the symbol is readable in slightly distorted form upon said front face of said body.

3. An advertising device as described in claim 2, and in which said symbol and said body are readily replaceable in said spacing means.

4. An advertising device as described in claim 2, and in which the back surface of said symbol is of polished foil.

5. An advertising device as described in claim 2, and in which the front and back surfaces ofsaid symbol are of polished foil.

6. An advertising device comprising a base, a body of sheet material forming an outline of a symbol and having a colored rear surface, a body of sheet material having a reflective front surface formed of metallic foil of an area exceeding that of said symbol, the symbol forming body being flxed upon the front of said base, said body having the reflective front surface being secured to the back of said base with the reflective surface thereof in opposed and parallel relation with said symbol, said symbol being sufliciently close to the reflective front of-said reflective body for readily detectable reflection therein in slightly distorted form.

7. An advertising device comprising a base, a body of sheet materialforming an outline of a symbol and having a bright-colored rear surface, a body of sheet material having a reflective front surface formed of metallic foil of an area exceeding that of said symbol, the symbol forming body being secured upon the front of said base, said body having a reflective front surface being detachable upon a back portion of said base in opposed relation with said symbol, said symbol being sufliciently close to such reflective front for readily detectable reflection therein in slightly distorted form.

8. An advertising display device for daytime advertising comprising a base, a rear sheet of fibrous material mounted upon said base towards the rear thereof in a vertical plane; a highly reflective metal foil mounted upon the front surface of said rear sheet, a series of letters forming advertising blocked out in solid form from fibrous sheet material, said letters being substantially separatedone from another and being positioned in a vertical plane parallel and in front of said rear sheet, highly reflective foil mounted on the front surfaces of said letters, and colored reflective rear surfaces provided for said letters whereby a slightly distorted colored reflection in silhouette formed of said letters may be provided upon the front foil surface of said rear sheet.

FREDERICK A. SUNDERHAUF. 

